Let the bitter fish fall, and if there is a fungus, it will be free!

He is from Kalinchok Rural Municipality-2 and has been living in Vigu-8 Sorung along the river after the earthquake. In the month of August, the tributaries of the Tamakoshi River in the northern region hear the sound of the hummingbird at night. Since 7/8 years, the locals have stopped tapping the bamboo in the river. The reason is that after the hydropower project closed the way to walk there, it was abandoned.

From the first week of August to the last week, they go to the upper area for fish breeding in the mouth of the tributary river of Tamakoshi. Locals call it the season of bitter blossoms. Small fish go to Kanchan water springs in the upper area for breeding and when they return, the local people kill them by beating them with bamboo sticks. Upstream from the dam site of the 25 MW Singti River Hydropower Project are two additional tributaries Kalinchok and Sorung River. Bitters are found in the mouth of these rivers. At one time, the then District Development Committee used to call for tenders for Tite Mar. At that time, Man Bahadur said that the contractor who worked on this river would accept up to 7 lakhs.

'The contractor used to come to the village to get the tares,' he said He said that he had left the pine. "It would have been easy to celebrate the festival with the money sold, but now that has also disappeared," he said, "Hydro has wiped out everything, and since there is no road, they stopped coming."

Singti Khola hydropower project has closed the passage of fish in the river during the rainy season after delaying the environmental impact assessment, the local alleges. Bir Bahadur Tamang, a local, said that Tite Pine was abandoned due to the fact that the river dries up in winter and the fish come to lay eggs in the springs of the upper region during drought. "It is customary for those who have land on the banks of the rivers to catch bitter gourds, for that they had to pay taxes to the government," he said. _{Singti Khola hydropower station built on the border of Kalinchok and Vigu Rural Municipality. Photos: Kedar Sivakoti/Kantipur}

When they get high in the sky, they go up in search of hot springs for reproduction. When they reach the upper stream, they lay their eggs. Tamang said that they leave the eggs in the spring and collect them by tapping the cloves when they return to the bottom in the evening and at night. "After the construction of the hydropower project, the pheasants have not been able to be collected, the pheasants coming from below cannot climb up from the place where there is hydro," he said.

At the head of Tamakoshi's tributary Singti river, the hydropower project (fish ladder) has blocked the river without building a path for fish to spawn in the two main rivers. Dhan Bahadur Thami of Kalinchok-2 said that they dry up the river without even leaving water for fish to swim in winter. "During the winter, they put all the water in the river in the hydro tank and dry it, and in the dry season, they even close the way to walk," he said.

He said that he has not entered the mouth of Tite river for 7 years. Heera Thami, ward president of Vigu-8, said that the dependent families in the river were in crisis because they could not feed them. "Some people used to pay for festivals and household expenses with the money collected and sold at the time when they were available," he said The area is included in the Gaurishankar conservation area project. Tulsi Prasad Dahal, head of the project, said that the conservation area has failed to build a fish ladder many times. He said that the projects built within the conservation area are being discussed to comply with the provisions of environmental impact assessment.

'They have committed to release 10 percent of water in winter and make a path for fish to walk in,' he said, 'we are monitoring, action will be taken against hydropower projects.' He said that he had filed a complaint in the area. Gourishankar-5, 6 and 8 lower Khare river in Tamakoshi's tributary river did not build a fish ladder due to lack of fish ladder in that area.

Locals have filed a complaint at the conservation area office saying that this center dries up the river and pours all the water into the hydro tank in winter. Towards Kharekhola, 30 MW Sasa, 40 MW Khanikhola hydropower projects are under construction, while 7 MW are being produced by Makar Jitumaya and Ghattekhola power stations.

Tamakoshi's main tributary river has a 25 MW Singti hydroelectric power station. Similarly, Himparwat hydropower project of 25 megawatts is under construction on Singti's tributary Sorung Sangba river. On top of that, 5.5 projects are under construction and two more projects are being studied. Kalinchok hydropower project of 5 megawatts is under construction in another tributary river of Singti river.